Macey's Baptism

This happened this past weekend!

What a special day for cute Macey.

We were so lucky to have Grandma Bonnie, Papa Jeff, Amy, Blake and Callie visit. 

We missed Grandma Sylvia and Grandpa Bob but know they are doing something equally as important serving a mission.

Maybe my favorite part of watching this was seeing all of Macey's friends who came to support her. It made me so happy, and it was sweet to watch them all crowd around Macey to give her hugs.

One thing I love about Macey is she truly loves and cares about others and support is incredibly important to her in particular. Some of her friends (and families) that came were Marina and Lisa her mom from our neighborhood, Lexi Odekirk and her family, Abella Isakson and fam, Dani Mathews and fam, Kelsey Bleak and fam, Kelsey Jenkins and mom, Sister Clarke, Sister Conover and Bishop, the Galovans, Hanna and fam, and Sienna. We love all Macey's cute friends and their families.

  

 I played the piano.

Grandma Bonnie gave a talk on baptism and how it is one of the first saving ordinances. 

She gave Macey her special jar of water from the River Jordan, the very river that Jesus was baptized in. She got to choose if she added it to the water in the baptismal font or to keep it and she chose to keep it. 

Cody, Macey, Mackayla and Blake sang a sweet arrangement of When I Am Baptized.

She was pure excited to be baptized. I was so happy to help her get ready to go in and help her out. She was just beaming and happy the whole time. We almost sent her out in the water in her church shoes:) The water was warm!

Aunt Amy gave a talk on the Holy Ghost with a little bag of things to remind us of the Holy Ghost.

Ben confirmed her a member of the church.

The bishop welcomed Macey to the ward. He said she was very prepared, and enthusiastic, and that she had a "cloud of positivity" around her. It's true.

  I am a royal icing rookie.

These take way more patience than I was blessed with, but it was a fun treat to have there at the table.

This was SO easy to make ahead and freeze (hence the royal icing-it freezes so well.)

 I love that Macey's baptism was in the morning. After her baptism we had friends over for fruit and muffins and some treats, and then packed up our stuff and headed to the beach!

 We were able to go to Newport with Grandma Bonnie and Papa Jeff earlier in the week.

Macey spent half the day chasing the birds and the other half acting like a bird. 

 You can't go to Newport without getting a donut!

My kids favorite part was the sleepovers!

Way too little sleep and way too much fun, totally worth it.

 We went to Riviera beach after the baptism, then to the pool and hot tub to rinse the sand off!

Beach Hair Don't Care 

 Grandma Bonnie made Macey a beautiful baptism blanket.

 Sunday afternoon after stake conference we went to what we call the "two story park."

It has exercise equipment along a walkway that the kids love! 

And we can't forget the animals. 

We got the anticipated Crosland Family Rock CD

And were able to give Grandma Bonnie Macey's newly released Cookbook, Macey's Favorites and mail Grandma Sylvia a copy.

We spent much of last year making, photographing (using the term loosely) and eating a bunch of recipes. Macey vetoed about as many as she approved, and the cookbook was created. Such a fun activity that Mace was super excited to create.

Our goal was to get to the end of Alma in the Book of Mormon in our reading and we made it the night before. We're chugging along. 

I'm so proud of Macey. I asked her several times if she felt ready to make this decision about being baptized and she never hesitated. Eight is sweet, eight is young, but eight is ready. 

Happy New Year

I have been such a lame mom this Christmas vacation break. We haven't done one adventurous thing yet. We did play outside at the park with some cute friends one day while Cody was at a birthday party. This counts as fun. We've done our fair share of work too. mean mom.

Mackayla also has walking pneumonia. She picked a good week to not miss anything but it totally puts a damper on fun, too. (Poor girl!)

Ben and I had to get our annual New Years' picture. That one rare day when he and I take a picture together. I do love this tradition. 

I'm wearing the same shirt as in the pic behind me. ha. 

We had a New York New Years' celebration at a cute friends' house. 

Poor Cody didn't have anyone his age, but he was a good sport.

 The adults played a way fun game. I haven't heard Ben laugh as hard as he did there in a long time. He has the most inappropriate sense of humor. But I do love hearing his laugh:) 

Then after the kids were in bed, Ben humored me by playing my favorite game. Bananagrams. When I'm 95 if I have three word game friends in a nursing home I'll be happy as a clam. [insert smiling nerd face emoji]

I still need to make a list of goals for 2017...can't wait!!

Happy New Year!

Wise Men Still Seek Him

Christmas Eve Day we were lucky enough to go to a movie, thanks to one of Ben's coworker's gifts to  Cinepolis, the world's most luxurious movie theatre, in my opinion:)

We had truffle fries and churros and laid back and relaxed while we watched Sing.

That night we had a special dinner and talked about "seeking for Jesus." 

Ether 12:41

"And now I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen."

These are our ornaments this year. It's one of our favorite Christmas quotes.

Christmas Even wasn't as beautiful and elaborate as I wish these things would be, but it worked. It was perfect.

I didn't plan to reenact the nativity, but Macey was so excited about doing it and Cody had built a manger and stable for us that day, so we of course did.

How could you say no to these costume arrangements and scenery?

I hid pieces of the nativity around our room and the kids searched for each of them, and we talked about each one. 

We opened a time capsule of sorts from 2013 where we each wrote one "gift to Jesus" on a paper and stuck it in a wood container. I pulled them out and as I read mine Macey scrunched her nose and basically said I didn't really make the cut on mine. I can count on her to say what's on her mind. Mine was discipline with love and not a loud voice. I swear I've done so much better and she's just super sensitive, but I'm an emotional reactor. I think if I get just a little better each year then in another 20 years I'll be an expert. 2017 is going to be my year! I love their little writing and it was fun to see how it's changed from three years ago.

They got special Christmas pajamas from each of their grandmas too.

I'm always grateful not to haul stuff everywhere to be with family. It's just all those other times before and after when we would love to be with them:)

 Cody got a little indoor basketball hoop. He loves it.

And we can no longer open our door to the garage fully, but I think it's worth it?

  Speaking of home space. I feel so cramped and I've had a bad attitude about it this month. If more than two people are in the kitchen at a time my blood pressure starts to rise, and I'm not one to get claustrophobic. I have to get creative if I want to bake and make dinner, or just do more than one thing at a time. 

Someone gave a sweet talk one Sunday about the Humility of the Savior and pointed out that our King was born in a stable. It was a good moment to remind myself that this beautiful comfortable home is certainly better than a stable, and I don't need to complain about it. 

This quote about expectations was helpful, too:

Never mind what others have, what others think and what I want. I'm working on remembering that being grateful for what I have makes what I have enough.

I do love these tiny granite counter tops. They're a-mazing.

Someday we're going to figure out where we want to be and be homeowners. But not today. So today, we have enough.

Geez. That should be a different post. What a weird tangent for a Christmas post.

Too bad I'm too lazy to move it. Sorry kids.

Here are some snippets from Christmas Day:

I know. The trade off to a tiny home is great winter weather. I do love that for sure.

Merry California Christmas!!